Football players and coaches have to approach every game as if it’s the biggest one in the history of the sport. The best ones approach every play in the same way.

But fans know the difference. They know that conference games mean more than those outside the circuit, that games against rivals mean more than games against strangers, that games between two good teams mean more than games with only one or no good teams.

Saturday’s West Texas A&M vs. Abilene Christian game has about everything a fan could want in a big game.

It’s homecoming. That’s always special, especially to alumni. College football has wearied its fans with shifting classifications and musical-chairs conference-switching, scandals blight the sports pages, and the noon kickoff has gone the way of the single-bar facemask. But no one’s figured out how to mess up homecoming, fortunately. We can be glad for one college football ritual that’s endured.

Abilene Christian is arguably WT’s biggest rival these days. Sure, nothing will replace the rivalry with Eastern New Mexico — the Wagon Wheel and all the other traditions. But WT’s dominance of the series has taken a little shine off of the rivalry. Plus, with so many communities in our region having deep ties to both schools, the WT-Eastern rivalry is almost a family affair. Even Buffaloes head coach Don Carthel was a Greyhound, back in the day.

Then there are the Wildcats, from that humid country down off the Caprock. They’re nearby, but they’re not quite neighbors. The ’Cats have given WT fits in recent years, and the Buffs have given them fits right back. ACU lists its 2008 playoff win over WT, a freakish 93-68 game, as one of the top moments in school sports history on its website. That’s annoying.

Also, it seems that Abilene Christian has decided to toss four decades worth of legacy in the Lone Star Conference in search of fancier company. The Wildcats, along with not-ready-for-prime-time Incarnate Word, will join the Division I Southland Conference next season.

The move is a setback for the Lone Star Conference. In losing Incarnate Word, the Lone Star loses some nice people and a location in a major market in San Antonio. But when Abilene Christian goes, ACU will take with it a consistently successful athletic program and those 40 years of tradition. That’s annoying, too.

Remember when Arkansas left the Southwest Conference, and some SWC schools enjoyed giving the Razorbacks a swat as they headed out the door? There’s a case for analogy here.

All that aside, as far as football goes, Saturday’s game will feature two strong teams.

The Buffs are having a good season, but they need to sustain momentum. The Angelo State and Tarleton State games weren’t as difficult as some had expected. WT ended up dominating both contests, including a 35-9 win against ASU this past weeked. There’s a good chance that Abilene Christian will provide a much stronger test.

The Wildcats stumbled out of the gate to a 2-2 start but have built some momentum. After a six-point win against solid nonconference foe Delta State, ACU stomped Eastern New Mexico last week.

Abilene Christian will be fighting for its season. The Wildcats know they can’t afford another conference loss. There’s every reason to expect them to play with abandon from the opening kickoff. WT fans have to be concerned about the Buffs matching the Wildcats’ intensity.

Homecoming, good teams, rivalry. Reasons to be annoyed, reasons to be concerned. Looks like a pretty big football game coming up in Canyon this Saturday.

Mark Haslett covers West Texas A&M football for the Amarillo Globe-News. He can be reached at mark.haslett@amarillo.com or 806-345-3315.

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Lets hope for good weather and a nice crowd of at least 15,000 instead of the usual 7,000 that show up for games.
Wt has a nice stadium, perfect time of year for football would be great for a nice crowd.
Last all why are all of WT home games played in the evening. Nights get cold in the Panhandle. Back in the 70s when I was at WT we had many home day games.